Showing papers by "S. E. Allwood-Spiers published in 2014"

Electron reconstruction and identification efficiency measurements with the atlas detector using the 2011 lhc proton-proton collision data

Abstract: Many of the interesting physics processes to be measured at the LHC have a signature involving one or more isolated electrons. The electron reconstruction and identification efficiencies of the ATLAS detector at the LHC have been evaluated using proton-proton collision data collected in 2011 at TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb. Tag-and-probe methods using events with leptonic decays of and bosons and mesons are employed to benchmark these performance parameters. The combination of all measurements results in identification efficiencies determined with an accuracy at the few per mil level for electron transverse energy greater than 30 GeV.

Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 8 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in root s=8 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

Search for dark matter in events with a hadronically decaying W or Z boson and missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search is presented for dark matter pair production in association with a W or Z boson in pp collisions representing 20.3 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity at root s = 8 TeV using data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events with a hadronic jet with the jet mass consistent with a W or Z boson, and with large missing transverse momentum are analyzed. The data are consistent with the standard model expectations. Limits are set on the mass scale in effective field theories that describe the interaction of dark matter and standard model particles, and on the cross section of Higgs production and decay to invisible particles. In addition, cross section limits on the anomalous production of W or Z bosons with large missing transverse momentum are set in two fiducial regions.

Search for direct top-squark pair production in final states with two leptons in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search is presented for direct top-squark pair production in final states with two leptons (electrons or muons) of opposite charge using 203 fb−1 of pp collision data at √s = 8 TeV, collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in 2012 No excess over the Standard Model expectation is found The results are interpreted under the separate assumptions (i) that the top squark decays to a b-quark in addition to an on-shell chargino whose decay occurs via a real or virtual W boson, or (ii) that the top squark decays to a t-quark and the lightest neutralino A top squark with a mass between 150 GeV and 445 GeV decaying to a b-quark and an on-shell chargino is excluded at 95% confidence level for a top squark mass equal to the chargino mass plus 10 GeV, in the case of a 1 GeV lightest neutralino Top squarks with masses between 215 (90) GeV and 530 (170) GeV decaying to an on-shell (off-shell) t-quark and a neutralino are excluded at 95% confidence level for a 1 GeV neutralino

Measurement of the production of a W boson in association with a charm quark in pp collisions at s√ = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: Measurement of the production of a W boson in association with a charm quark in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Light-quark and gluon jet discrimination in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A likelihood-based discriminant for the identification of quark- and gluon-initiated jets is built and validated using 4.7 fb of proton-proton collision data at collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Data samples with enriched quark or gluon content are used in the construction and validation of templates of jet properties that are the input to the likelihood-based discriminant. The discriminating power of the jet tagger is established in both data and Monte Carlo samples within a systematic uncertainty of 10-20 %. In data, light-quark jets can be tagged with an efficiency of while achieving a gluon-jet mis-tag rate of in a range between and for jets in the acceptance of the tracker. The rejection of gluon-jets found in the data is significantly below what is attainable using a Pythia 6 Monte Carlo simulation, where gluon-jet mis-tag rates of 10 % can be reached for a 50 % selection efficiency of light-quark jets using the same jet properties.

Measurements of normalized differential cross sections for tt¯ production in pp collisions at √(s)=7 TeV using the ATLAS detector

Abstract: Measurements of normalized differential cross sections for top-quark pair production are presented as a function of the top-quark transverse momentum, and of the mass, transverse momentum, and rapidity of the t (t) over bar system, in proton proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb(-1), recorded in 2011 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Events are selected in the lepton jets channel, requiring exactly one lepton and at least four jets with at least one of the jets tagged as originating from a b-quark. The measured spectra are corrected for detector efficiency and resolution effects and are compared to several Monte Carlo simulations and theory calculations. The results are in fair agreement with the predictions in a wide kinematic range. Nevertheless, data distributions are softer than predicted for higher values of the mass of the t (t) over bar system and of the top-quark transverse momentum. The measurements can also discriminate among different sets of parton distribution functions.

Measurement of the electroweak production of dijets in association with a Z-boson and distributions sensitive to vector boson fusion in proton-proton collisions at √s= 8 TeV using the ATLAS detector

Abstract: Measurement of the electroweak production of dijets in association with a Z-boson and distributions sensitive to vector boson fusion in proton-proton collisions at=8 TeV using the ATLAS detector

Muon reconstruction efficiency and momentum resolution of the ATLAS experiment in proton–proton collisions at √s=7 TeV in 2010

Abstract: This paper presents a study of the performance of the muon reconstruction in the analysis of proton-proton collisions at root s = 7TeV at the LHC, recorded by the ATLAS detector in 2010. This performance is described in terms of reconstruction and isolation efficiencies and momentum resolutions for different classes of reconstructed muons. The results are obtained from an analysis of J/psi meson and Z boson decays to dimuons, reconstructed from a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 40 pb(-1). The measured performance is compared to Monte Carlo predictions and deviations from the predicted performance are discussed.

Search for direct top squark pair production in events with a Z boson, b -jets and missing transverse momentum in √s = 8 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search is presented for direct top squark pair production using events with at least two leptons including a same-flavour opposite-sign pair with invariant mass consistent with the boson mass, jets tagged as originating from -quarks and missing transverse momentum. The analysis is performed with proton-proton collision data at collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2012 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb. No excess beyond the Standard Model expectation is observed. Interpretations of the results are provided in models based on the direct pair production of the heavier top squark state () followed by the decay to the lighter top squark state () via , and for pair production in natural gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking scenarios where the neutralino () is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle and decays producing a boson and a gravitino () via the process.

Search for top quark decays t → qH with H → γγ using the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search is performed for flavour-changing neutral currents in the decay of a top quark to an up-type (c, u) quark and a Higgs boson, where the Higgs boson decays to two photons. The proton-proton collision data set used corresponds to 4.7 fb-1 at √ = 7TeV and 20.3fb-1 at √ = 8TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Top quark pair events are searched for in which one top quark decays to qH and the other decays to bW. Both the hadronic and the leptonic decay modes of the W boson are used. No significant signal is observed and an upper limit is set on the t → qH branching ratio of 0.79 at the 95% confidence level. The corresponding limit on the tqH coupling combination λtcH 2 + λtuH 2 is 0.17.

Measurement of the low-mass Drell-Yan differential cross section at √s = 7 TeV using the ATLAS detector

Abstract: The differential cross section for the process Z/gamma* -> ll (l = e, mu) as a function of dilepton invariant mass is measured in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV at the LHC using the ATLAS detector The measurement is performed in the e and mu channels for invariant masses between 26 GeV and 66 GeV using an integrated luminosity of 16 fb(-1) collected in 2011 and these measurements are combined The analysis is extended to invariant masses as low as 12 GeV in the muon channel using 35 pb(-1) of data collected in 2010 The cross sections are determined within fiducial acceptance regions and corrections to extrapolate the measurements to the full kinematic range are provided Next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD predictions provide a significantly better description of the results than next-to-leading-order QCD calculations, unless the latter are matched to a parton shower calculation

Measurement of the production cross section of prompt J/ψ mesons in association with a W± boson in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: Measurement of the production cross section of prompt j/psi mesons in association with a W (+/-) boson in pp collisions root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Search for Quantum Black Hole Production in High-Invariant-Mass Lepton + Jet Final States Using pp Collisions at √s = 8 TeV and the ATLAS Detector

Abstract: This Letter presents a search for quantum black-hole production using 20.3 fb(-1) of data collected with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at the LHC at root s = 8 TeV. The quantum black holes are assumed to decay into a final state characterized by a lepton (electron or muon) and a jet. In either channel, no event with a lepton-jet invariant mass of 3.5 TeV or more is observed, consistent with the expected background. Limits are set on the product of cross sections and branching fractions for the lepton + jet final states of quantum black holes produced in a search region for invariant masses above 1 TeV. The combined 95% confidence level upper limit on this product for quantum black holes with threshold mass above 3.5 TeV is 0.18 fb. This limit constrains the threshold quantum black-hole mass to be above 5.3 TeV in the model considered.

Search for supersymmetry at √s= 8 TeV in final states with jets and two same-sign leptons or three leptons with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: Search for supersymmetry at root 8=8 TeV in final states with jets and two same-sign leptons or three leptons with the ATLAS detector

Erratum: Search for new phenomena in final states with large jet multiplicities and missing transverse momentum at √s = 8 TeV proton-proton collisions using the ATLAS experiment (Journal of High Energy Physics (2013) 10 (130))

Abstract: Search for new phenomena in final states with large jet multiplicities and missing transverse momentum at root s = 8 TeV proton-proton collisions using the ATLAS experiment (vol 10, pg 130, 2013)

Study of heavy-flavor quarks produced in association with top-quark pairs at s =7TeV using the ATLAS detector

Abstract: Using a sample of dilepton top-quark pair ((tt) over bar) candidate events, a study is performed of the production of top-quark pairs together with heavy-flavor (HF) quarks, the sum of (tt) over bar + b + X and (tt) over bar + c + X, collectively referred to as (tt) over bar + HF. The data set used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The presence of additional HF (b or c) quarks in the (tt) over bar sample is inferred by looking for events with at least three b-tagged jets, where two are attributed to the b quarks from the (tt) over bar decays and the third to additional HF production. The dominant background to (tt) over bar + HF in this sample is (tt) over bar + jet events in which a light-flavor jet is misidentified as a heavy-flavor jet. To determine the heavy-and light-flavor content of the additional b-tagged jets, a fit to the vertex mass distribution of b-tagged jets in the sample is performed. The result of the fit shows that 79 +/- 14 (stat) +/- 22 (syst) of the 105 selected extra b-tagged jets originate from HF quarks, 3 standard deviations away from the hypothesis of zero (tt) over bar + HF production. The result for extra HF production is quoted as a ratio (R-HF) of the cross section for (tt) over bar + HF production to the cross section for (tt) over bar production with at least one additional jet. Both cross sections are measured in a fiducial kinematic region within the ATLAS acceptance. R-HF is measured to be [6.2 +/- 1.1(stat) +/- 1.8 (syst)]% for jets with p(T) > 25 GeV and vertical bar eta vertical bar < 2.5, in agreement with the expectations from Monte Carlo generators.

Monitoring and data quality assessment of the ATLAS liquid argon calorimeter

Abstract: The liquid argon calorimeter is a key component of the ATLAS detector installed at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The primary purpose of this calorimeter is the measurement of electron and photon kinematic properties. It also provides a crucial input for measuring jets and missing transverse momentum. An advanced data monitoring procedure was designed to quickly identify issues that would affect detector performance and ensure that only the best quality data are used for physics analysis. This article presents the validation procedure developed during the 2011 and 2012 LHC data-taking periods, in which more than 98% of the proton-proton luminosity recorded by ATLAS at a centre-of-mass energy of 7–8 TeV had calorimeter data quality suitable for physics analysis.

Measurement of the centrality and pseudorapidity dependence of the integrated elliptic flow in lead-lead collisions at root S-NN=2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: The integrated elliptic flow of charged particles produced in Pb+Pb collisions at root S-NN = 2.76 TeV has been measured with the ATLAS detector using data collected at the Large Hadron Collider. The anisotropy parameter, upsilon(2), was measured in the pseudorapidity range |eta| <= 2.5 with the event-plane method. In order to include tracks with very low transverse momentum p(T), thus reducing the uncertainty in upsilon(2) integrated over p(T), a 1 mu b(-1) data sample recorded without a magnetic field in the tracking detectors is used. The centrality dependence of the integrated upsilon(2) is compared to other measurements obtained with higher PT thresholds. The integrated elliptic flow is weakly decreasing with |eta|. The integrated upsilon 2 transformed to the rest frame of one of the colliding nuclei is compared to the lower-energy RHIC data.

Search for a multi-Higgs-boson cascade in W+W -bb̄ events with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV

Abstract: A search is presented for new particles in an extension to the Standard Model that includes a heavy Higgs boson (H-0), an intermediate charged Higgs-boson pair (H-+/-), and a light Higgs boson (h(0)). The analysis searches for events involving the production of a single heavy neutral Higgs boson which decays to the charged Higgs boson and a W boson, where the charged Higgs boson subsequently decays into a W boson and the lightest neutral Higgs boson decaying to a bottom-antibottom-quark pair. Such a cascade results in a W-boson pair and a bottom-antibottom-quark pair in the final state. Events with exactly one lepton, missing transverse momentum, and at least four jets are selected from a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb(-1), collected by the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at root s = 8 TeV at the LHC. The data are found to be consistent with Standard Model predictions, and 95% confidence-level upper limits are set on the product of cross section and branching ratio. These limits range from 0.065 to 43 pb as a function of H-0 and H-+/- masses, with m(h)o fixed at 125 GeV.

The differential production cross section of the \phi (1020) meson in \sqrt{s} = 7 TeV pp collisions measured with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A measurement is presented of the phi to K+K- production cross section at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 383 mub-1, collected with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Selection of phi(1020) mesons is based on the identification of charged kaons by their energy loss in the pixel detector. The differential cross section is measured as a function of the transverse momentum, pTphi, and rapidity, |yphi|, of the phi(1020) meson in the fiducial region 500 230 MeV and kaon momentum pK< 800 MeV.The integrated phi(1020)-meson production cross section in this fiducial range is measured to be s(phi K+K-) = 570 pm 8 (stat) pm 66 (syst) pm 20 (lumi) mub.

Measurement of the inclusive isolated prompt photons cross section in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector using 4.6 fb[superscript -1]

Abstract: Aad, G.; et al., [Unknown]; Aben, R.; Beemster, L.J.; Bentvelsen, S.; Berge, D.; Berglund, E.; Bobbink, G.J.; Bos, K.; Boterenbrood, H.; Castelli, A.; Colijn, A.P.; de Jong, P.; de Nooij, L.; Deluca, C.; Deviveiros, P.O.; Dhaliwal, S.; Ferrari, P.; Gadatsch, S.; Geerts, D.A.A.; Hartjes, F.; Hessey, N.P.; Hod, N.; Igonkina, O.; Kayl, M.S.; Kluit, P.; Koffeman, E.; Lee, H.; Lenz, T.; Linde, F.; Mahlstedt, J.; Mechnich, J.; Mussche, I.; Ottersbach, J.P.; Pani, P.; Ruckstuhl, N.; Salek, D.; Ta, D.; Tsiakiris, M.; Valencic, N.; van der Deijl, P.C.; van der Geer, R.; van der Graaf, H.; van der Leeuw, R.; van Vulpen, I.; Verkerke, W.; Vermeulen, J.C.; Vranjes Milosavljevic, M.; Vreeswijk, M. DOI 10.1103/PhysRevD.89.052004 Publication date 2014 Document Version Final published version Published in Physical Review D. Particles, Fields, Gravitation, and Cosmology

Muon reconstruction efficiency and momentum resolution of the ATLAS experiment in proton–proton collisions at \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\sqrt{s}=7$$\end{document}s=7 TeV in 2010

Abstract: This paper presents a study of the performance of the muon reconstruction in the analysis of proton–proton collisions at \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\sqrt{s}=7$$\end{document}s=7 TeV at the LHC, recorded by the ATLAS detector in 2010. This performance is described in terms of reconstruction and isolation efficiencies and momentum resolutions for different classes of reconstructed muons. The results are obtained from an analysis of \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$J/\psi $$\end{document}J/ψ meson and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$Z$$\end{document}Z boson decays to dimuons, reconstructed from a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 40 pb\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^{-1}$$\end{document}-1. The measured performance is compared to Monte Carlo predictions and deviations from the predicted performance are discussed.

Measurement of the production cross section of prompt J/ψ mesons in association with a W[superscript ±] boson in pp collisions at √ s[overbar]= 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: The process pp → W±J/ψ provides a powerful probe of the production mechanism of charmonium in hadronic collisions, and is also sensitive to multiple parton interactions in the colliding protons. Using the 2011 ATLAS dataset of 4.5 fb−1 of √ s = 7 TeV pp collisions at the LHC, the first observation is made of the production of W± + prompt J/ψ events in hadronic collisions, using W± → μνμ and J/ψ → μ+μ−. A yield of 27.4 −6.5 W ± + prompt J/ψ events is observed, with a statistical significance of 5.1σ. The production rate as a ratio to the inclusive W± boson production rate is measured, and the double parton scattering contribution to the cross section is estimated.